| THEN: Before discovering St. Lucie Habitat for Humanity, Florence found the courage to start over from a bad relationship. She and her daughter moved in with Florence’s mother. They were able to heal, grow, and begin to plan. She shared a small bedroom with her now teenage daughter, Mariah. As a single parent, Florence’s dreams were filled with images of having a safe, decent home – one with enough space for her daughter to have her own room. Though she worked, Florence could not afford to purchase a home.
Florence learned about St. Lucie Habitat. She applied and was approved for the Homeownership Program. From then on, a positive life-changing experience unfolded for her and her daughter. NOW: Florence moved into her new St. Lucie Habitat home two years ago with her daughter, Mariah, and their little dog, Finn. During this time, Florence began a new job and met a wonderful man, now her life partner, Dominic. Recently, they welcomed a new member to the family, their son, Nico. He is three months old. She has a new goal of enrolling in college to earn a criminal justice degree and perhaps enter the paralegal profession. She continues to dream big and happily plans for an even brighter future than she imagined. She said, “Owning my own home has given me and my daughter a feeling of security, safety, and comfort that we did not have before becoming a St. Lucie Habitat homeowner.” Mariah is thriving, also. She will be a senior in high school this fall. Mariah has a job and her own car. She is in the automotive program at school. She dreams of enrolling in an automotive college with a NASCAR program. Mariah is confidently racing her way to a bright future. This is another inspiring story of the positive impact owning a home of their own has on our St. Lucie Habitat homeowners. When homeownership is attainable and affordable, as for St. Lucie Habitat for Humanity homeowners, they are more confident about finances, families are healthier, children do better in school, and communities are stronger. If you would like to donate to our new homeowner program so we can serve even more family partners, click here or on the picture above. |
St. Lucie Habitat Homeowner Update – Then and Now
